


Tickled Pink

by Azilver



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen or Pre-Slash, Kid Fic, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Series, Underage Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-15
Updated: 2014-12-15
Packaged: 2018-03-01 14:52:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2777189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azilver/pseuds/Azilver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At eight years of age Kakashi is the smartest child in the whole village. But he is also just an eight year old and hospitals are boring.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tickled Pink

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I wrote this a few years a go but felt like popping it on my AO3 account cause I still sorta like it :]

 

Hatake Kakashi understands the necessity of his admittance to the hospital after breaking his leg training. He also understands that, due to the location and extent of the injury, he will have to spend at least two weeks in hospital, in bed. At eight years of age Kakashi is the smartest child in the whole village. But he is also just an eight year old and hospitals are boring. ****

Very boring.

  
 

It’s been three days. Three days stuck in an uncomfortable and restraining hospital bed, eating the apparently nutritious hospital food which was either tasteless or consisted of only one type of flavour and Kakashi was bored. In fact, he had gotten to the stage where he was seriously considering repeatedly hitting his head against the wall in the hope that he’d lose consciousness.

As it was, his father only visited for short periods during parental visiting hours and didn’t even consider the degree of his son’s boredom. There wasn’t even a roommate for the boy to consider annoying into entertaining him. His father would never even consider having a Hatake share a room!

It also didn’t help that the hokage refused to heal his leg with a medical jutsu. Something about needing to rest since a stress fracture doesn’t just happen! It wasn't like he had much else to do but train, like... play or hang out with friends. He didn't need friends. Even if they may have been a useful tool to combat his boredom.

 

It was while Kakashi was considering his present condition that a nurse burst into his room. In fact it was only this disturbance which pulled the boys focus from his boring situation and made him notice, for the first time, the ruckus outside his room. Doctors and nurses rushed back and forth with equipment and beds though the halls. It was very noisy.

“Excuse me, Hatake-kun. There’s been a bad accident, a building collapsed.” She barely paused to see if he had acknowledged her before pulling a boy from behind her and depositing the child in the chair next to the door. Stooping to the child’s eyelevel she petted his head. “Now, I want you to stay here until I get back, okay? We need you room at the moment but we'll have you all right as rain soon enough! You’ll have to be on your best behaviour until then.” She waited just long enough for the boy to give an enthusiastic nod before rushing back out the room.

Slowly, Kakashi became aware of the child watching him. It was a new feeling, being watched like that, with curiosity, not with animosity or judgement. And as if he’d given the boy his permission, the moment he met that curious gaze the child bounded up to his bed and crawled up to sit by his side. “Hi!”

Feeling somewhat out of his depth Kakashi nodded a brief greeting. He couldn’t remember when he’d last had to interact with someone so young, yet alone anyone near his own age.

He takes a moment to catalogue the child: his dark brown hair is longer than normal for a boy his age, his equally brown eyes sparkle with mischief and curiosity, his complexion is a tanned tone not common to occupants of the village (he briefly wonders if the child’s family isn’t from one of the coastal villages). A large bandage covers the area across his nose, spread from cheek to cheek. Logic tells him that the wound is the reason for him being in the hospital.

The child crowed, swinging his legs back and forth, smiling at Kakashi toothily. “M’Ruka.” It takes a moment for him to decipher the sound which he takes to be the child’s name. He nods again, acknowledging him but saying nothing. It’s only when the other boy regards him with a wide-eyed look that he thinks to return the courtesy. “Kakashi.” 

The smile he receives for his efforts starts a strange... whirly sensation in the pit of his belly that he’s never felt before. Kakashi isn’t sure he likes it.

 

Ruka is five. He enjoys swimming in the big lake outside of the village but he doesn’t get to do so often. The other children don’t like the water and he’s not allowed to go their alone, without his parents, who are often too busy to go swimming. He also likes to play with the Inuzuka puppies when his parents take him to visit the ninja family’s compound. Oh! And his favourite foods are his mom’s soba and the dango from the stall next to the bush with the big white flowers.

These are just some of the many things he tells Kakashi about. The younger boy has taken to visiting him when visiting hours for parents are over.

 

His visits have become the brightest part of Kakashi’s days. It doesn’t help that the nurses think it’s cute and good for both of the boys to make friends, there was enough animosity outside the hospital walls, as it was. Kakashi couldn’t be bothered to remind them that he was a part of it. And he’s pretty sure Ruka will grow up to be part of it too.

But Ruka is an ever happy and energetic distraction for him.

 

The morning Ruka visits him accompanied by a man and woman Kakashi recognises as Jounin and realises are the boy’s parents, he knows it’s all over. He greets the boys’ parents with a brief nod, the two adults returning the courtesy with small smiles, even as their son launches himself at Kakashi’s bed, demanding his attention.

“Kashi! Kashi! Look! The doctors took m’bandages off!” Ruka points at the angry red slash that bisects his face from cheek to cheek. Kakashi gives him a small smile. “Yes.” He makes a show of examining the wound, much to Ruka’s delight. The wound has healed well, but it will form a scar that will make the boy easy to identify for the rest of his life. As a ninja, that may become a problem and it’s likely he’d have to wear some sort of mask when on certain missions.

The father clears his throat and Ruka’s face crumples. He had really liked spending time with his older friend. “But now mom an’ dad say I have to go home.” The idea doesn’t sit well with either boy but Kakashi bows as best he can towards the younger boy from his position in the bed. “Take care.”

“You too, Kashi! Get well soon!” Ruka bounces of the bed and towards his parents and they leave.

  
A few minutes pass as Kakashi resigns himself to the boredom and loneliness, once again. He still has at least three days until he’s even allowed to get out of the bed for any length of time.

Moments after he hears the sound of running feet, his door slams open, bangs against the wall and ricochets shut. A small figure hurtles into his chest, knocking the wind right out of him. Surprised and somewhat dazed, Kakashi looks down into a beaming face. “Ruka?”

The other boy sits back on Kakashi’s lap. He pouts and folds his arms. “I forgot.”

“Forgot?”

“Mmhm.” Ruka nods, his face a study in seriousness. “Yup. See, when Dad has a tough job to do then Mom an’ me have to wish him good luck. Mom gives him kisses and I give him hugs! Mom says that her kisses are enough so I can just give Dad hugs, ‘cause he only needs one persons kisses! More peoples kisses would be bad. But you don’t have anyone to give you kisses too!”

It’s a wild babble and Kakashi thinks he can be forgiven for not really catching it all, since Ruka just punched the air from his lungs a minute ago.

When Ruka suddenly leans forward and places his lips against his, Kakashi is dumbstruck. The act is innocent, a child’s desire for him to heal and be safe in his missions as a Konoha ninja.

For Kakashi, himself, it’s, somehow, more than that. On impulse he leans into the other boy’s touch and feels Ruka respond tentatively. For a moment they press their lips together, their mouths moving ever so slightly as they explore the new sensations.

The clatter of a trolley outside the room breaks them apart and, even though he has barely moved, Kakashi feels a tightness in his chest and a fluttering in his belly. And he thinks he may actually like it.

Ruka smiles again and hops off the bed. “Bye, Kashi! Now you’ll definitely get better and be safe.” The brunette waves at him briefly before opening the door and rushing to catch up with his parents.

 

A few minutes after Ruka leaves, Kakashi slides down in his bed and pulls the covers over his head. He hopes that no one comes in before his face returns to a more normal shade because he just lost his first kiss and he’s kind of happy about it.  
 

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from Naruto. I do not claim any ownership of the characters or world, I am just borrowing them and this story is for entertainment only and is not part of the official story line.


End file.
